131 Heroes

Last month, on a day so beautiful it didn’t feel like a coincidence, 131 fallen heroes received an incredible honor at a ceremony by The Wall.

These 131 were just a few of the thousands of service men and women who died as a result of their service in the Vietnam War — but whose deaths don’t meet the Defense Department’s criteria for inclusion on The Wall. Many suffered from exposure to pesticides like Agent Orange. Others carried psychological wounds that became too painful to bear. All of them deserve our gratitude and remembrance.

Every year, VVMF’s In Memory Program honors these heroes, adding them to the program’s Honor Roll at a ceremony in front of The Wall. It’s always a touching, meaningful experience, and this year, we put together a video from the ceremony. When you watch it, it’ll be four of the most remarkable minutes you spend today.

Sensei Yori Nakamura Medical Fund

Sibak Taky Kimura Health Care Fund

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Poem by Guro Dan Inosanto

We are all climbing different paths through the mountain of life, and we have all experienced much hardship and strife. There are many paths through the mountain of life, and some climbs can be felt like the point of a knife. Some paths are short and others are long, who can say which path is right or wrong? The beauty of truth is that each path has its own song, and if you listen closely you will find where you belong. So climb your own path true and strong, but respect all other truths for your way for them could be wrong. - Dan Inosanto